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An 18-year-old man accused of having sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl last year was sentenced to 30 years in prison Monday.

Recardo Moreno pleaded guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent in April through a plea agreement with the state that called for a 50-year prison term with 40 years suspended in part because Moreno was 17 at the time of the incident.

District Judge Greg Pinski sentenced Moreno to 50 years in the Montana State Prison with 20 years suspended, explaining that had Moreno been only a few months older he would face up to 100 years with a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence.

Moreno admitted in court to having a "relationship" with the girl, knowing her age and having sex with her last year. He apologized for his actions before his sentence was handed down.

The victim's mother testified at the start of the hearing, saying that Moreno took advantage of her daughter's young age.

"He knew what he was doing was wrong," she said. "He took advantage of my daughter's innocence."

The mother also told the court both Moreno and her daughter lied about his age, indicating to her that he was 15. She also explained the victim has been hospitalized since the incident due to suicidal and self-harming behavior caused by Moreno's actions.

Moreno was designated a Tier 2 sex offender based on a psychosexual evaluation. He was ordered to complete both phases of sex offender treatment in prison before he is eligible for parole. Moreno received credit for 318 days time served pre-sentence.